Significant Career Lesson From a Director at Fortune 20 Tech Company
Bill, a Director at a Fortune 20 tech company, emphasizes that "no one is any more capable than you," a lesson learned throughout his career, encouraging risk-taking and passionate commitment to overcome challenges and achieve success. This belief motivates Bill to advise job seekers to "go all in" during the interview process, highlighting the importance of enthusiasm and self-belief in career advancement.
Executive/Leadership, Overcoming Challenges, Resilience, Motivation, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Bill Casper
Director
Fortune 20 Tech Company
Kansas State 2005
UCLA Anderson
Political Science, American Studies
Technology
Sales and Client Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, Transfer Student, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Everyone is figuring things out as they go, regardless of their experience level or position.
2. Don't be afraid to take risks and try new things; even if you fail, you will learn from it.
3. Bring energy and passion to your work and interviews; show why you are a good fit for the job
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant throughout your career?
Here's the cleaned transcript:
A couple of lessons come to mind quickly. I'm going to butcher the quote, but it's not the Steve Jobs quote. It's something along the lines of what Einstein had a similar quote about. The world was really created by no one that is any more capable than you. He said it in a much more eloquent way, but it's something I'm reminded of again and again.
As human beings, we're always searching. When we grow up, we think our parents know it all. Then, in our 20s, we realize our parents were just figuring things out as they went along. We wonder if our professors have it all figured out.
Then we figure out professors are just figuring things out as they go, too. They just have a bit more experience. Later, at work, we think our boss or managers have it all figured out. We meet entrepreneurs and think, "This guy's got it all figured out."
Everyone loves the young entrepreneur who is so smart. There are so many examples of how this has gone fantastically wrong. But they are truly not any more capable than you. I have to remind myself of that again and again because humans are always searching for that mythical state where someone has it figured out.
There are mentors and things from which you can learn a lot. I don't want to discount the value of that. But know that there's nothing any of us can't figure out. For the most part, there's no problem we can't solve with enough effort, time, and resources. So, remind yourself of that constantly.
Then, don't be afraid to take some risks. Try things that scare you a little. You might mess up, you might face setbacks, you might get fired from your first job. That's okay, because you'll learn something and pivot to something new.
So, just don't lose track of that. Bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm into whatever you're doing. The number one thing I love when speaking to someone about a job opportunity is when they bring passion and intensity. They can relate it to why the job fits them, given their experiences.
Go all in. Don't hesitate when you're interviewing. Instead of thinking, "I don't know if this is the right job for me," just go all in and commit yourself to it. I think you'll be in a great spot. Hopefully, that helps.